The Alisal Union School District's board president said she is requesting a full investigation into questionable spending sprees by the school district's superintendent.

Superintendent John Ramirez used an Alisal school district-issued Visa credit card for a $400 shopping stint at Macy's, movie tickets, fancy dinners, car washes, and car rentals, Board President Adella Lujan said. He also bought flowers the day before Valentine's Day.

Ramirez is the only person in the Alisal Union School District who has a credit card paid for by the district. He is authorized to use it for official district business.

Ramirez declined to answer any questions from reporters with KSBW and the Salinas Californian newspaper, both whom received Ramirez's Visa credit card statement from a source who requested to remain anonymous.

Ramirez is the top educator in a public Salinas school district that serves about 8,000 elementary students in east Salinas.

Lujan said she will make a request during Wednesday's board meeting for Ramirez's spending to be investigated. Lujan said the matter will be resolved in a transparent manner and said Ramirez did not deny using the credit card for personal expenses.

Luci Clark, a union representative for the California School Employees Association, said after KSBW called Ramirez on Tuesday to ask him about the credit card, he hastily called a closed-door meeting with his employees that night. During the meeting, according to Clark, Ramirez told his staff that he works harder than anyone in the district and admitted he made personal charges on the district credit card.

Ramirez also asserted that he paid the district back with personal checks, and said whoever leaked the credit card statement to the media was trying to bring down the Alisal district, according to Clark.

Monterey County Office of Education Nancy Kotowski said her office will also investigate how Ramirez used the credit card.

The Alisal Union School District is already at the center of another Salinas controversy.

Alisal's former school board president and current trustee, Jose Castaneda, was sworn onto the Salinas City Council in December last year. Although he stepped down as president and was replaced by Lujan, he refused to let go of his position as a trustee despite an apparent conflict of interest.

So Castaneda's fellow City Council members voted to pursue a lawsuit against Castaneda.

Another Alisal school board trustee, Meredith Ibarra, turned her house on Towt Street into a headquarters for a new newspaper. Periodico El Californio published its first edition this week and its publisher is Meredith Ibarra's brother, Juvenal Ibarra.

Juvenal Ibarra said he created the newspaper in part because he was unhappy with the mainstream media's reporting about Castaneda. He also filed a recall petition against Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter last week because Gunter has not appointed Castaneda to any committees.

Like Ramirez, Castaneda has also refused to be interviewed on camera by KSBW. In February Castaneda filed a police report against KSBW Reporter Tom Miller claiming Miller blocked his path on a sidewalk. He also asked police to keep Miller from going anywhere near himself and his family.

The Salinas Police Department and Monterey County District Attorney's Office concluded that Miller did not commit any crimes while attempting to interview Castaneda and get his side of the story.

"Mr. Miller was simply carrying out his role as a journalist," assistant district attorney Terry Spitz said.